DENTAL ASSISTANT

Description:

Serves as staff dental assistant at the full performance level for routine patient care and performs a full range of duties with indirect supervision from the lead or supervisory dental assistant or the treating dentist. Performs assigned selected procedures with some independence. Some complex patient procedures are performed under indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.

Requirements:

Basic Requirements:
United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

Experience and Education
Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work.
OR,
Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation [(CODA)].
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.

Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence
Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.;
OR,
Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry.
OR,
Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).

Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment.
Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certifi- cation is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level.

Grade Determinations:

GS-3
Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignment. Employees at this level serve in dental assistant career development positions. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex patient issues, and require daily close supervision.

GS-4
Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation [(CODA)]. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling
Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies
Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval
Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment
Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

GS-5
Experience or Education(1)In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.
OR,
(2) Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA.
In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSA's:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality .Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.
Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures
Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA.
Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol.

GS-6
Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSA:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.
Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.
Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.
Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.
Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.
Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.
Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.

Preferred Experience: Must have Certification of Radiologic Competence: (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR, Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry. OR,
Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD)


References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.